Padma Patil

Just wanted to let you both know that I talked with the other Ravenclaw Prefects and we're all planning to go on Saturday, so if Professor Dolohov needs any help with crowd control or anything, we're all available for it.

Oh, also, I told Dames if he really wanted to switch patrol on Wednesday I could do it, since we've got Astronomy that night. (In fact, it might not be a bad idea to ask 5th-years to regularly take Wednesdays, since that's our Astronomy night and we've got to stay up, anyway.)

almost over. I guess with the time away for the CCF and all, there hasn't been nearly as much loafing about as usual. Which is probably a good thing, overall.

Not that there was all that much loafing about, even normally. But this summer, Pav and I were also helping in the shop. (Mum's said more than once that it would be lovely if one of us took an interest in the business.) It's fun, of course, but it's also a load of work. And Mum recently took on some more help, but if anything, going through the CCF training made things more efficient afterward. I dunno, I'm happy to help out but I'm still leaning toward other things. I think it's important that each of us does our utmost to serve the Protector the best possible way we can. I don't think clothes design is really all I'm capable of, is all.

That doesn't mean we didn't have a grand time designing! Mum's putting a few of our robes into production, even. I wish they'd been ready before the end of the summer but holidays will do. (It's also well strange to be designing things for winter when it's hot and for summer when it's cold, but that's the nature of the business, isn't it?)

Ginny, I think Purest Sparkle might even be interested. I mean, young clothes for the young witch about town? Mum's going to see about it, anyway. If you're still modelling for them that would be really snitch, wouldn't it?

That's not the only news we had this summer. Haruman's brought one particular girl round for supper about half a dozen times. Mum's holding out hope he'll make a Big Announcement any day.

They came tonight, too, but not to make a Big Announcement. Haruman wanted to talk to Dad about something in the papers today. Apparently a Healer that he works with occasionally at St M's turned up dead in Wales yesterday. He was really shaken up about it. Not because he particularly liked the Healer but because so many people have been talking to one another about whether it could have been a murder.

It's kind of disturbing and exciting at the same time, isn't it? I wasn't sure why anyone would want to kill a Healer but Haruman said that to know this Healer was to hate him, basically. And apparently he had a string of patients who were always complaining and Haruman was one of the Jr Healers who sometimes had to calm them down while someone else tracked Healer Stint down and well--he's not surprised if someone got cross enough. Or it could have been an accident, too. He was found at the bottom of a cliff, so he could have fallen (though it's odd he didn't Apparate away, if he fell, right?).

Well, anyway.

School starts in only a week! Has anyone heard more about the 'changes to Dark Arts' that Mr Malfoy mentioned? (I saw that and wondered if anyone had been mad enough to buy their books already--I mean, we've all been waiting to find out what would happen since Miss Professor Carrow died, right?)

Oh, by the way, for Ravenclaw Corner: We're meeting up in Diagon at 1:00 tomorrow afternoon. Seamus, Lav, if you want to join us that's fine. Pav and Su Li are coming too and my cousin Darshana, and Desai as well. Cooper, Bole, if you're interested, come and meet us outside Fortescue's.

except for Astronomy.

Remember, History Club begins tonight! Parkinson and I have been working on a project that I think everyone will find really interesting. We've been looking at the history of the regulation of time travel. I think, given how well this has worked out, we might ask if others don't want to research other laws, like how Animagi came to be, or the history of Parseltongue or things like that.

Anyway, so far, I like Dark Arts and Arithmancy best of the new lessons, and Potions, Defence and Transfiguration are still at the top of the regular ones. I mean, I like Charms too, and Astronomy is okay but I like the night-time part better than the lectures (and that'll be tonight).

And Ravenclaw Corner is still nift, I mean, with Sandoval and the Bobolises and the Dameses and all. Oh, and Sandoval, I don't know if your brother told you but there are a few others who've started coming by more often. Davies, for example, and Cox. And there are some newer ones, like Gray and Martinez. But mostly it's the same chums from last year. Dunstan may start coming with me sometimes, and Moon, but only when Karoline isn't there to tease him. I guess that's the bad thing about having an older sister or brother at school with one!